WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), gave the following opening statement at a SASC hearing to consider the nomination of Gen. Paul Selva for reappointment to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Inhofe chaired the committee in absence of SASC Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

The Senate Armed Services Committee meets this morning to consider the nomination of Gen. Paul Selva for reappointment to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Gen. Selva, we thank you for joining us and welcome your family and friends here with us today. As is our tradition, at the beginning of your testimony we invite you to introduce those who are joining you. 

In order to exercise its legislative and oversight responsibilities, it is important that this Committee and other appropriate committees of the Congress are able to receive testimony briefings, and other communications of information. 

Gen. Selva, your record of service to our nation is well-known to this committee. Your first two years at the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been marked by great challenges to our national security. The advance of ISIS in the Middle East; Russian aggression in Ukraine and against NATO allies; continued Chinese military build-up and destabilizing actions in the region; North Korea’s pursuit of both nuclear and long-range missile capability. Meanwhile, our young men and women continue to serve on the battlefield in Afghanistan, ensuring that our country never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists. 

Moving forward, new leadership at the Department of Defense and military services presents renewed challenges and opportunities for our armed forces. As we work to meet the threats of today and prepare for the threats of the future, crises around the world only continue to multiply. Our service members face the most complex and diverse array of global threats since the end of World War II. 

Leading our military during such challenging times requires strong leadership, and this committee looks forward to your testimony about how you plan to guide our men and women in uniform in the coming years. 

We thank you again for your continued willingness to serve our nation.